Ministerial memorandum: Release of the final report of the 2018 Census External Data Quality Panel

To: Hon James Shaw, Minister of Statistics cc: Hon Kelvin Davis, Minister for Crown / Māori relations Hon , Minister for Māori Development Hon Aupito , Minister for Pacific Peoples From: Carol Slappendel, Deputy Government Statistician and Deputy Chief Executive – Census and Collection Operations Date: 13 February 2020

Purpose 1. The purpose of this memorandum is to alert you to the release of the final report of the 2018 Census External Data Quality Panel early next week. Background 2. Due to lower than expected individual responses, Stats NZ was required to investigate additional statistical methods to help improve the data quality of the 2018 Census and increased the use of administrative (admin) data to fill data gaps. 3. An External Data Quality Panel for the 2018 Census was established in August 2018 to provide independent advice to the Government Statistician on thereleased new methods and census data quality. The eight-member panel included experts on census methods, statistics, Māori data, demography, and equity. 4. As the recommendations made in the report are relevant to their portfolios, you may wish to share this memorandum with the Ministers of Finance, Crown / Māori relations, and Māori Development. The final report of the External Data Quality Panel 5. The third and final independent report covering the quality of data from the 2018 Census is due to be released early next week. 6. The final report contains 24 recommendations covering a range of areas including some highly technical modifications to processing methods, as well as broader recommendations around engagement with key stakeholders, including Māori, Pasifika and iwi. A copy of the full report is appended to this memorandum. 7. Stats NZ agrees with most of the recommendations in full or in part. Stats NZ currently has the lowest delivery confidence in relation to two recommendations 8. While Stats NZ is confident in being able to address most of the recommendations in due course, there are two recommendations where delivery confidence is the lowest. These are: .Proactively Stats NZ should prioritise engagement and investment to ensure: o There is genuine partnership with Māori communities, organisations and iwi to develop and implement decision-making and governance mechanisms, to ensure meaningful involvement of Māori in future censuses. This includes Stats NZ actively addressing the acceptability of the extensive use of administrative data in future censuses and issues of social license and Māori data sovereignty specifically for the 2023 Census. released

Proactively